Commutator-switch.



BALP MILLER, 0F A NN ARBOR, MICHIGAN.

coMMUTATonfswITCH.

Speclcation of Letters Patent.

Patentednec. 5, 1911.

Application led September 28, 1910. Serial No. 584,247.

To all whom itmay 'cof/wem:

Be it known that I, RALPH MILLER, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident! of Ann Arbor, in the county of Washtenaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Commutator-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to switches for controlling the direction of a power current to a plurality of light-circuits, and is especially adapted to' use on motor-vehicles having two vfront lamps and a tail-lamp; and it has for its object the provision of a switch arranged to light a' single side lamp, the tail lamp only, 'the three lamps in series at r'educed 'candle power, and the three vlamps 1n multiple full candle power.

Myinvention will be describedin detail hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1`is a plan View of my improved conimutator-switch,showing the top prrtly broken away; Fig. 2, a bottom plan `View; F ig. .3, a cross-section on a vertical plane indicated by the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a

` diagrammatic view showing the switch set switch when the tail-lam so that the lights are off; Fig. 5, a similar view showing the position of the switch when one side lamp onlyis lighted; Fig. 6, a similar View showing the position of the l only is lighted; Fig. 7, a similar views owing the three lamps lighted in series; and Fig. 8, a similar View showingy the three lamps lighted in multiple. y

In 'the drawings similar reference characters indicatecorresponding parts throughout all of the several views.

My improved switch is installed in a cylinderical casingy 1, having a plate 2 secured therein,to which is secured a. central tubular 'ournal-pinA 3, fon which is evplubly mounte a disk 4, having an o era ing-arm 5'securedthereto that exten s through a slot 1 in the side of the casing. The late .2 and disk 4 are Inside of anyldesire insulatin material, such as vulcanized fiber or the ike. Secured to the under side of plate 2 are two sets of three spring-contact 10 indicates a battery, and 11, 12, and 13 the three lamps to be lighted thereby, lamps 11 and 12 being the two side lamps, and lampv 13 the tail-lamp. One pole of battery v10 is connected by wire A with finger 8,

and the other pole with finger 7h by means of wire B. Lamp 11 is connected by means of wire C with finger' 6", and wire D with finger 7. Lamp 12 is connected with linger 6 by means of wire E and with finger 7* by means of wire F. Taillamp 13 is connected with finger 6b by means of wireG and finger 7 by means of wire H. Fingers 6 and 8b are also connected by means of wire I, so that when plug 9 is in position and engaging the free ends of lingers 81 and 8b the battery will be in circuit with finger 6c through wire il, finger S, plug 9, linger 8", and wire I.

and has secured therein four series of contact-buttons which 1 will nowv describe in detail. Said contact-buttons extend through disk 2 and are positioned-so that they engage contact-pins 15 when the disk 2 is rotated, while their upper ends extend above the top surface of the disk and are provided with binding-nuts. Two of the series of buttons, designated 16, 16band 16 and 17, 17, and 17, respectively, are electrically connected by means of conductors 16d and 17d,

respectively. The other sets of contact-buttons are designated 18, 18h, and 18u and 19, 19", and 19, respectively. Buttons 18b and 19" are joined by conductor-wire 20, and buttons 18 and 19 by conductor-wire 21.

It will be understood that the 'switch'l is operated by rotatin disk 4 by means of operating-arm 5, an that when it is in the middle osition shown'in Fig. 4 none of the contactuttons are in contact with pins 15 and none of the lamps will be lighted.

When the disk is turned counter-clockwise, as shown in Fig. 5, the first effect will be toy bring 'the bi ttons 16ll and 16b 'into Contact with pins 15 engaging fingers 7a and 7", respectively, and buttons 17"L and 17'J into contact with pins 15, engaging fingers 6l and 6, respectively. The current from battery will then be directed through wire A," finger'S, plug 9, finger 8", finger 6, Wire E, side lam 1:2, wire l?, finger 7, pin 15 en` gaging nger 7a, button 16h, connection 16, button 16, pin 15 to finger 7, and by Wire B back to the battery.

lVhen'the disk is rotated as far as the slot 1 will permit the arm 5 to swing, as shown in Fig. 8, the current will flow from battery 10 through wire A, finger`8, plug 9, finger S", Wire I to finger (in, from thence it will be distributed by means of buttons 17, 17, andA 17, und connections 17, to the fingers 6 and through pins and from fingers 6, 6b, and through wires C, E, and G to lamps 11, 12, and 13, respectively, then back through wires I) and H to finger 7 and wire l" to finger 7, through buttons 16 and 16 and connections 16d to button 16", thence through finger 7b and wireB back to the battery, the lamps heilig lighted ,full candle power.

When the disk is turned clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 4, as shown in Fig. 6, the first e'ect is to bring the buttons 18b and 18c into contact with pins 15 ,engaging fingers 7b' and 7", respectively, and uttons 19b and4 19 into contact with pins 15 engaging fingers 6 and 6b, respectively. The current will then flow from the battery 10 through wire A, finger 8, plugt), finger 8b, wire I, finger GC, button 19", wire 20, button 18h, finger 7c, wire H, tail-lamp,l3,.wire G, finger 6", button 19, wire 21, button 183 finger 7", and wire B back to the battery.

When the disk is rotated to its farthest point, clockwise, as shown in Fig. 7, buttons 18, 18", and 18c Contact with pins 15 engaging fingers 7, 7b, and 7, respectively, and buttons 19, 19", and 19-contact with pins 15 engaging fingers 6, 6", and 6, respectively. In this position the three'lamps 11, 12, and 13 are lighted in series,l the currentI passing from the battery through wire A, finger 8", plug 9, finger 8b, wire I, finger 6c, wire E,V through lamp 12, then through wire F, finger 7*, button 18, wire 21, button 19, finger 6* and wire C to lamp 11, then through wire D, finger 7c and Wire H to lamp 13, then through wire G, finger 6b, button 19", Wire 20, button 18h, finger 7 and wire B back to the battery 1.0.

lIn the diagrammatic views, Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, the fingers 8 and 8b and plug 9'are omitted, the plug Ybeing assumed to be in position engagin said fingers that one pole. of the battery 1s directly in circuit with wire 6, and this connection is shown by va wire designated A. Y

In order to guide the operator I rovide a pin 22 in arm 5 that engages notc es 23 in the lower wall of slot 1* when the arm reaches the several positions to operate the' lamps as above described.

When the switch is not in use the plug 9 may bev removed to prevent lighting any of the lamps.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is* 1. In an electric switch, a casing, a disk revolubly mounted in thecasing, series of fingers suitably secured in the casing, 'four series of contact buttons secured to the disk, said series of buttons being arranged in pairs diametrically of the disk, the series of buttons in one pair being electrically con'- ynected, and a part of thegbuttons in each of the other pair of series being joined 'b conductors extending across the dislg, su stantially as shown and described. J

2. lIn an electric switch, a. casing, a plate secured vin the casing, a disk revolubly mounted in the casing, two series of lthree fingers each secured to the plate, four series of three contact-buttons secured tothe disk,

said series of buttons being arranged in pairs 'diametrically of the disk,..the series of buttons in one pair being coupled-by' conductors, and two of the buttons'in each of the other pair of series beingj'oined by conductors, substantially as shown and described.

3. In an electric switch, a casing, a plate,

secured in the casing, a' disk revolubly mounted in the casing-two series of three fingers each secured to the plate, four series of contact-buttons securedhto the disk, saidseries'of buttons being arranged in pairs diametrically of the disk, the series of but'- tons in one pair being electrically conected,

' two of the buttons -in each ofvthel other pair of series of buttons being joined-by conductors, a plug removably' and replaceably mounted in the disk, and contactfingers Secured to the plate and engaging said plug when in position in thedisk, substantially as shown and described.

4. An electric switch comprising a easing, a plate vsecured to the casing, a tubular fournal secured to the plate, a disk revo ubly mounted on said journal, two ,series of spring-contact fingers secured to said plate, four series -of contactbuttons secured to the disk, said series of buttons being arranged iler;

in pairs diametrically of the disk, the series of buttons in one pair being electrically connccted by conductors, two of the buttons in each of the other pair of series of buttons being joined b conductors, the plate provided with holes 1n line with the buttons in the disk and over the freedends of said s ringfingers, said disk being adapted Vto rotated to bring the contact-buttons and n- Inwitness whereof, I h fwe hereunto sei5U gers in cireult, a plug removably and remy band in presence of two subscribing Wt placeably mounted on the tubular 'ournal messes. A

aforesaid, and contact-fingers secure to the RALPH MILLER. plate and engaging said plug when in poslf Witnesses: v

tion' on the journal, substantially as" shown GEORGE W, SAMPLE, and described. l PHILIP BLUM. 

